Baron P. Hill: “we have committed our armed forces to the conflict in Kosovo and now we must pay for it. This unanticipated expense is a…”

“we have committed our armed forces to the conflict in Kosovo and now we must pay for it. This unanticipated expense is a classic example of what constitutes emergency spending. I have voted to support our troops and the NATO operation in Yugoslavia. We need to provide emergency funding for our troops in the field. But the emergency appropriations bill that we will be asked to support, today, spends more than twice the 6 billion dollars requested by our military commanders for Kosovo. It will add billions of dollars in spending for non-emergency items that should be considered during our normal budget process. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I clearly understand that the military has pressing needs, including improved pay and benefits for the troops, military infrastructure, equipment and spare parts. I support a pay raise for the military, pay scale reform, and retirement benefits reform. Our troops have earned a raise and it is the right thing to do. But I don't believe that an emergency supplemental should be loaded up with spending that is more appropriately considered during the regular budget process. I don't think that today's bill shows a commitment to honest budgeting and spending controls.”